Electric Vehicle Initiatives

**Illinois is the home of the nation's largest electric vehicle fast-charging network. Click HERE for more information and to view press materials surrounding this achievement.**

Electric Vehicle Funding Opportunities

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Rebate Program

The Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is providing rebates toward the installation of Level II charging stations. Rebates cover 50% of equipment and installation (materials and labor) costs up to the following caps: $3,750 per networked single station; $3,000 per non-networked single station; $7,500 per networked dual station; and $6,000 per non-networked dual station. The maximum possible total rebate award is $49,000 or 50% of the total project cost for up to 15 stations, whichever is less.

Eligible applicants for this rebate program include: units of government, businesses, educational institutions, non-profits, and individual residents. EV charging stations must be purchased and installed prior to submitting a rebate application.

Rebate applications will be processed on a rolling basis. The deadline for rebate applications is April 17, 2014.

Illnois Environmental Protection Agency offers a rebate for the purchase of a new alternate fuel vehicle, such as a natural gas, propane, E85, electric, or hydrogen vehicle. (Used or pre-owned vehicles and vehicles that are leased and not purchased are not eligible for this program.) Electric vehicles that are eligible for this program are those that are predominantly powered by and primarily “refueled” with electricity and do not have restrictions confining them to operate only on certain types of streets or roads. Electricity must be the primary fuel that powers the vehicle, and not used as a supplemental or secondary fuel source.

For a new alternate fuel vehicle that has a conventional gasoline or diesel make and model counterpart, the amount of the rebate is 80 percent of the incremental cost of the alternate fuel vehicle versus its conventional counterpart (same make, model, and model year) up to $4,000. For a new alternate fuel vehicle that does not have a conventional make and model counterpart, but does have an increased cost due to the alternate fuel engine/motor and fuel system versus a comparable conventional engine/motor, the amount of the rebate is 10 percent of the base retail price of the vehicle as reflected on the MSRP, not including add-on equipment options, up to $4,000.

On Saturday, July 9th, Governor Quinn signed the Electric Vehicle Act into law. This act created the Illinois Electric Vehicle Advisory Council (EVAC), chaired by a new state Electric Vehicle Coordinator. Governor Quinn appointed Kate Tomford, Chief Sustainability Policy Advisor in the Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO), to the new Coordinator position.

The legislation charged the EVAC to produce a report to the Governor and General Assembly by December 31, 2011. The law dictated that the report contain the following components:

" The Council shall investigate and recommend strategies that the Governor and the General Assembly may implement to promote the use of electric vehicles, including, but not limited to, potential infrastructure improvements, State and local regulatory streamlining, and changes to electric utility rates and tariffs."

On December 30th, the EVAC submitted a Final Report to Governor Quinn and the General Assembly. This report is available, here.

On September 27th, 2010, the Illinois Commerce Commission announced the formation of a Plug-In Vehicle Intiative to ensure that the state’s electric grid and natural gas distribution systems were prepared for changes in vehicle technology and transportation infrastructure.

The Initiative on Plug-In Electric Vehicles (PEV) was formed so that the Commission can proactively assess the potential impacts of PEVs on our electric system. Initiative co-chairs Chairman Scott and Commissioner O’Connell-Diaz hope that the initiative will help guide the Commission in understanding and beginning to consider future regulatory issues necessary to accommodate this new era of transportation.

House Bill 2903, sponsored by Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) and Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), establishes a grant program that will help eligible car-sharing organizations purchase and use electric cars in their fleets. Car-sharing organizations are membership-based services that allow members to drive cars by the hour, which takes cars off of the roads and benefits our environment.

The new law authorizes the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to make grants of up to 25 percent of a project’s total cost to eligible car-sharing organizations for the purchase of electric vehicles for their fleets. These vehicles must be registered in Illinois, and remain registered in Illinois for at least five years after the purchase.

The grants will be funded through the Alternate Fuels Fund, which currently provides rebates to Illinois vehicle owners who use renewable fuels, such as 85 percent ethanol blend fuel, or up to $4,000 for the cost of certain electric-powered vehicles. For more information regarding the fund, visit www.illinoisgreenfleets.org.